Rubber spring and axle assembly



May 15, 1951 J. H. GRUBE A RUBBER SPRING AND AXLE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 5, 194e 3mm dow/v H Patented May 15, 1.951

RUBBER'SPRING AND AXJEFASSEMBLY John Hf Grube, Pasadena,zCalif.', .assig'noizfv by.

mesne .assignmentaeto Overniter ,Manufacture ing Corporation, r,a corporation ofT4 California-1v Applicationnovember 5, 1946,'seriaiNm 701888AU 2 olaima.Pv (Cl. 261,.-21):

This invention relates'l in "general-Vtoizvehicle; axleunitsl and'more particularly Ypertainsfto an `-improved spring and. axle assembly; which'. is especially l.adaptedy for trailersY and the? flikebut. mayibe used to advantagewith; variousitypes'ioiL vehicles;

This rinvention resides in; the provision.'r of'sian, axleV assembly and a'spring assembly which are constructed, arranged andV combined inv such.' manner asto afford 'the objectsrand advantages as: Afollows :l

1. Individualmounting fand spring fsuspensionf of each wheelfthrough the-'mediumy of alsmall: compactxand inexpensivespringgand. axle'i-unit which effectively Vcushions and .absorbsl al'lshocls; jars'and vibrations occasionedwithithe use cfavehicle equipped withwtheassemblyhereow 2, The Vprovision for quickly and easily mounting the wheels forwardly or rearwardly of the part of the axleunit securedtotthe vehicle frame, withoutchanging. the location of the axle,A as

Well as the provision for as readily.settinggther` spindles at various elevations for nxingvthe vehi-v cle body at different-heights fromwthe ground without bodily shifting the.vehicle-attachedpart of the axle .wherebythe clearance of the vehicle body fromr4 the ground maybe varied over a wide range best: to suit the terrainv tofbe traversedg:

3. iAgreater clearance of :the springiaxleiassembly from" the groundl thanrrordinarily "provided with bowed spring axle-supportedflunits-:

4. A novel spring andaxle arrangement wherein a most eective'cushioning Yand 'shock absorbing and:Y snubbing action per each wlfieeli` isi achieved'Withaplurality of spherical rubber lelements :arrangedv to v `yield l andliprovide the 'aforesaid action responsive to turning of the associated axle in either direction as when the associated wheel supported on a crank arm extension of the axle is raised and lowered responsive to all road irregularities and all relative movements of the vehicle and wheels.

5. Provision for automatic turning of the spherical rubber spring elements incident to the yielding and spring action thereof so as to avoid spot wear and assure an even wear of such elements thereby increasing the life thereof.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a vehicle'y as equipped 'Withf a'isprin'g 'and @"axle' assembly embodying the presentY invention;

Fig. *2 is *an renlarged"fragn'ientary bottomvv plan' Viewffoione `*unitv of the` 'assemblyvv showing -'h'owf itds'mounte'd on' thevehicleg1the associated Wheel FiglfB vis an .enlarged fragmentary sectional view ofy` the'partf of apparatus fien'compasse'd byf the liiiefand-V arrows 4-4 'off4 Fi'gf.' .'22-

tion'f'oi fther "respective spring 'elements fof: Lsaid units'.-r`

Ealch of I thefaxl'ef" and spring unitsgAvandxB- frame C. On its outer end this aXleis'proyide-:ifwith va circular :head-il! to lwhich' isf' adjustably secured byfmeans'r-'of "arrannular'series'foff st'dd bolts 3,`v` acrank'larm 9 @which supportsv a '.spindlef. I Orford one'of'. the, rwheels 1. The portion-or the' axle f 'between the `"bearingsf- 6 `ffisrof square crosssection whereas theportions :in-the "bearings: are7 round thus providing shoulders I Irwhich abut the bearings: "and hold-f the axle 7,againstv` axial; dis

placementl fromf ztheebearings-fand thusemaintain th'eraxle .unit securely-in placerwhilepern'iiitting theaxle 5 tolturn in saidbearings.fA

As fhere provided-the :spring-e arrangement 4roieach of the units A and B includes a rectangular rocker plate I2 welded or otherwise fixed to the axle 5 so as to extend forwardly and rearwardly therefrom substantially an equal amount. Along the longitudinal (forward and rear) edges of this plate are xed like rigid cup members I3 in and by which spherical resilient rubber members I4 are seated and held for like association with co1'- responding cups I5 xed to cross members Iii of the Vehicle frame C'. These cup members embrace the spherical rubber spring members so as to provide means for holding them in place subject to compression and spring action responsive to turning of the shaft 5 in either direction.

As here provided a greater number of the spherical spring members I4 areplaced along the rear edge of the rocker plate I2 than along the front or forward edge, as best shown in Fig. 1, inasmuch as the assembly as here shown is nstalledv so that the compression load is carried by the row of three spherical members along the rear edge of said rocker plate while the two spherical members on the front edge of said plate take care of the rebound with a snubbing action. It is tov be understood however that any number of spherical elements may be used on either side of the axle as best to suit the particular vehiclel and conditions at hand.

With the axle-spring assembly installed as shown in the accompanying drawing, the crank arms 9 are secured to the outer ends of the axles 5 so as to be normally substantially horizontally disposed but subject to swinging upwardly and downwardly responsive to the road action and the load action of the wheels and vehicle body, in all cases against the cushioning, shock absorbing and snubbing action of the sets of spherical rubber spring elements I4. However, upon removing the stud bolts 8 the crank arms 9 may be reset on the axles so that they are normally inclined downwardly or upWardly'from-the horizontal for the purpose of raising the vehicle body or lowering it relative to the ground as desired. Moreover the crank arms 9 maybe set to extend rearwardly of the axles instead of forwardly and all suchadjustments may be readily and easily made without disturbing the axles 5 and Yassociate rubber spring units.

Where rough and bumpy roads 0r ground is to be negotiated the crank arms 9 may be set in downwardly inclined position to raise the body of the vehicle well above the ground as desired. Where a lower position of the body is desired as may be the case for some trailers and vehicles in which a lower center of gravity is indicated, a setting of the crank arms in an upwardly inclined position may be effected as desired. Likewise the crank arms 9 may be set to extend either forwardly or rearwardly of the axles best to suit the particular trailer or vehicle, for Abetter' weight distribution and.v to accommodate the assembly to the best position on vehicles of different lengths. p

Another feature of advantage present in the rubber spring units is that the spherical rubber elements I4 due to angular :compression thrusts being applied thereto incident to the road action and the load action of the wheels and vehicle body, will cause the rubber elements to turn in the retaining cups therefor whereby spot wear and deterioration of the rubber will be prevented and the life of the rubber elements prolonged.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exact details o f construction set forth,

-turning movement of said axle including a rocker member fixed to said axle and extending for- "Wardly and rearwardly therefrom, spherical resilient rubber spring members, and means mounted on the vehicle and on said rocker member for retaining said spherical rubber members Yon said rocker member subject to yieldingly resisting rocking movement of said rocker member including cup members in which said rubber members are free to turn.

2. In an axle assembly for vehicles, Van axle, bearing means for securing the axle to the vehicle so that the axle may turn about its axis, a crank arm nxed to the outer end of said axle, a wheel-supporting spindlev carried by said crank arm` and spring means yieldingly resisting the turning movement of said axle including a rocker member fixed to said axle and extending forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, spherical resilient rubber spring' members, and means mounted on the vehicle and on said rocker member for retaining said spherical rubber members on said rocker member subject to yieldingly resisting rocking movement of said rocker member, said spherical rubber members being turnable in said retaining means. l,

` JOHN H. GRUBE.'

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 897,270 Chapin Sept. 1, 1908 1,425,616 Tarbox Aug. 15, 1922 2,002,377 Mayne May 21,1935 V2,167,911 Schieferstein Aug. 1, 1939 2,371,864 Woolsonet al Mar. 20, 1945 2,396,579 Krotz Mar. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date '772,052 France Aug. 6,1934 648,974 Germany Aug. 12, 1937 

